WARTBURG, Tenn. — The Wartburg community gathered together Tuesday evening to raise money and stand in solidarity with a 17-year-old who was hospitalized due to a rare autoimmune disorder.
Ian Pemberton was diagnosed with vasculitis, a condition that causes blood vessels to swell. The swelling can restrict blood flow, potentially resulting in organ and tissue damage. He was in the intensive care unit Tuesday evening and has been hospitalized at East Tennessee Children's Hospital and the Vanderbilt Medical Center in the past.
"He's taking it well. He takes it day by day, moment by moment sometimes," said Lynn Humaen, a family member of Ian's. "His conversations are lip-synced. He cannot speak, and I think because of all the respirators they've had to do."
People gathered at Wartburg Central High School to help raise money for him and his family. Organizers collected donations. Previously, from March 25 through March 28, people at the high school could also buy snacks and drinks to show their support.
Tuesday's gathering was a "Prayer Meeting," where people were encouraged to arrive and pray "for healing and comfort."
"He's stable, he's very, very sick. And the only hope he's got right now is God. The doctors have not given him very much hope," said Humaen.
Community members described Pemberton as a student who spent his days in class, at work and with his family before the diagnosis changed his life. They said he has spent days on a ventilator, has undergone dialysis treatments and still has no estimate about when he may be discharged.
"He is gentle and kind, and he is really sensitive," said Makayla Trent, cousin of Ian's. "I mean, he's a fighter and he's putting all of his trust in God."